Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan underscored the need for the government to protect the agriculture and fisheries sector amid the continued spike in fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict, pointing out its serious consequences and impact on national food security and the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk who are already struggling with rising production costs. 

In his co-sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 1982 under Committee Report No. 48, which aims to temporarily suspend fuel excise taxes, the senator warned that the most vulnerable sector impacted by the rise in fuel prices is the agriculture and fisheries sector. 

“Sinusuportahan natin ang pag suspinde ng fuel excise tax dahil tinatamaan ang ating maliliit na magsasaka at mangingisda at syempre ang lahat ng ating mga kababayan — ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang mga taong dahilan kung bakit meron tayong pinagsasaluhan sa hapag-kainan,” he said during Senate’s plenary session on Monday, March 16.

Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform and has repeatedly called for timely and sufficient assistance to the country’s food producers, explained that the increase in fuel prices directly affects the cost of producing and transporting food. 

This, he added, places additional pressure on farmers and fisherfolk, raising the risk of higher food prices for ordinary Filipino consumers. With 80% of the cost of food production going to fuel, the senator cited a fishers’ group that has recently reduced their catch schedule to every two days—instead of fishing daily—while some had to stop altogether. 

“’Pag mas konti ang bangkang pumalaot, mas konti ang suplay ng isda, mas mataas ang presyo. Bawat pamilyang Pilipino apektado,” he lamented. Without timely government intervention, the senator feared that the rising fuel costs would further impoverish food producers—many of whom are already among the country’s poorest sectors—and lead to food insecurity. 

Aside from the temporary suspension of fuel excise taxes—which could lead to savings of P6 per liter on diesel, P10 per liter on unleaded gasoline, and P5 per liter on kerosene—Pangilinan is also calling for increased cash assistance and fuel subsidies for farmers and fisherfolk. 

“Ang panukalang ito ay isinusulong ng isang sandigan upang mapanatiling gumagalaw ang ating sistema ng pagkain habang hinaharap natin ang krisis sa presyo ng langis,” he said. 

“Sa huli, ang ating pasya ngayon ay hindi lamang tungkol sa pansamantalang pagsuspinde ng fuel excise tax — ito ay tungkol sa pagprotekta sa mga nagpapakain sa ating bayan at sa kinabukasan ng bawat hapag-kainan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.